A Poisoned Barb
by lalaland01
Summary: The Avengers and Primatech are forced to collide in an attempt at cooperating, but all does not go according to plan as tempers flare and hilarity ensues.
1. A Risky Decision

**So, I have had this story in my mind ever since seeing the Avengers movie, so PLEASE let me know what you all think in the form of a wonderful review!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the plot and any OCs. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Noah, I need to talk something over with you," Lauren said as she walked into the lounge room of the apartment they shared.

He looked up from his book. "Is there something wrong Lauren?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"No, I am fine. I just...I've been thinking about something lately, and I wanted to discuss it with you," she told him.

"Okay..." he prompted after an awkward silence.

Lauren took a deep breath and sat next to her boyfriend. "I...I need you to keep an open mind for me."

Noah frowned. "Look, Lauren, whatever this is, just tell me. I promise to be understanding, no matter what it is."

"Okay...I have been thinking about telling my Nick Fury about the Specials," she said finally, and Noah simply stared at her for a moment. "Noah?"

"Why?" he asked her eventually.

"I can't go on like this, love," she explained. "I work under him and help him with everything to do with the Avengers, as I have for some time now, and now that they have been revealed to the world in all their powerful glory, I can't help but wonder if it would be good to at least tell Fury about the existence of people that could potentially help him save the world."

Noah took a deep breath. "I can understand why you would feel this way, Lauren, and I am really glad you talked to me about it before taking action. I don't know if it's such a good idea."

"Why ever not? This decision just might save the world!" Lauren exclaimed.

"I understand, Lauren, but it would mean exposing the secret a lot of people have gone to great lengths to keep, and I don't know if that is such a good idea. Some things are best left as they are," he reasoned.

"Noah, I know that. It's not like we would be revealing Claire and everyone else to the world. I'd just be telling Fury, and in the strictest confidence too. He can then decide what to do with the information."

"I don't think he would be the ultimate person to tell about that. I mean, from what you've told me, he didn't really give much consideration to the Avengers when they first started with that whole Loki business as far as personal feelings and such go. He just expected them to help him, and that was that. I don't think all the Specials would react nicely to that," Noah told her.

"I see your point. What if I told Natasha? I am sure she would do her best to work out the best thing to do."

Noah pursed his lips. "I don't know if we cant trust her. She is too S.H.I.E.L.D oriented for my liking," he said, and Lauren groaned.

"So is everyone else! Noah, I have to do something about this. The knowledge that so many problems could be solved is killing me!"

Noah sighed deeply. "If this is really what you think is best, then do as you see fit, but just...try to not give names until you are sure that S.H.I.E.L.D is what is best for everyone. I don't want Claire getting hurt."

"Of course Noah," Lauren said, leaning over and kissing his cheek lovingly. "I will go and get ready for bed. Is there anything I can get you?"

"No, I'm fine. You go on ahead, I'm just going to finish this chapter and then I'll join you," he replied, and Lauren gave him one last smile before leaving the room.

Once her footsteps had disappeared down the hall and Noah could hear the water running as she brushed her teeth, he picked up his cell phone from the table beside him and dialled an all too familiar number.

"Hello? Angela? Yes, it's Noah. We have a problem."

* * *

The next day, Lauren had decided to tell Fury once and for all. He was a good man, in her opinion, and he would do good with the information she could provide.

She had been working as his secretary for some time by then, and was very happy with the job. She was able to meet all sorts of people from all sorts of background, and the overall procedure and order of the whole place was almost calming to her in a way. Without order, she often felt out of place, like nothing was right, and so working for the government was the perfect place for her to be. A clear cut set of rules to follow and things that had to be done...it was her paradise really. Not so many shades of grey as Primatech, though she did miss some of the excitement of the field work involved in Primatech.

She managed to catch Fury in his office for about an hour between a meeting and his lunch break, something that she took as a positive omen since he rarely had time for lunch, let alone last minute chats with his secretary.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" he asked as they sat across from one another in his office.

"I have some...information you might find helpful," she told him.

"And what is this?" he prompted.

"What if there really were people out there with powers like the Avengers?" she asked. In the end, she sounded more curious that knowledgeable, and Fury misunderstood her meaning entirely.

"I suppose it is possible, but I haven't really seen reason to look before now. Do you suggest that we do so?" he asked, and Lauren sighed.

"Yes, I do," she said finally. "I think it is high time we found some people to help the Avengers. There are only so many of them, and I just think that if there were more we might not cut it quite as close next time something comes up like it did with Loki."

Fury thought for a moment, stroking his chin in a very cliche yet dignified manner. "You are proposing that we look into incidences to which we previously turned a blind eye, and try to dig up more soldiers?"

Lauren met his eyes. "Yes."

"I don't know if this will be worth it in the long run. We do have enough on our hands as far as the Avengers are concerned, and I don't know if we could really handle undergoing a search of that magnitude," he told her regretfully.

"What if...what if I told you that I already knew some of them?" she asked at last, and Fury frowned deeply.

"Lauren Gilmore, are you telling me that you are aware of the whereabouts of people with special abilities, and you have not told me before now?" he asked sternly.

She nodded. "Yes sir."

"And why is that?" he asked, trying to remain calm.

"Because they are important to me. This isn't gossip I have just heard on the street, Sir. This is something far bigger than you could ever imagine," she tried to explain. "The things some of these people can do...making their existence public is NOT a good idea, believe me. They are a close knit bunch, and if they knew I was telling you this they would scatter instantly and completely disappear in a matter of moments. Nothing can help you find them if they don't want to be found. They are smarter than ever before, and they know just how to turn the tables in the blink of an eye. Trust me, they are dangerous unless treated carefully," she warned him.

"Miss Gilmore, I had Bruce Banners in a contained space with myself and my men. I know all about treating matters carefully. I think I can handle these people, whoever they are," he said, sounding sure of himself.

Lauren couldn't help but scoff. "Really? Can you really control someone that can rip your head from your shoulders in the bat of an eyelid? Or someone who you just can't kill at all? Or maybe someone who can drain the life out of you until you are nothing but dust?!" Lauren yelled, angry now. "You cannot control these people like you did the Avengers. You know they would all try to save this earth because of the good in their hearts, but I cannot promise the same for the people I speak of."

"You are telling me they are evil?" he asked.

"No, I am telling you that they are not all intent on being heroes. Some of them will jump at the chance to save the world, but they would not be happy to work with a government funded and controlled agency such as S.H.I.E.L.D. They have not had good encounters with the government in the past, and if you wish to work with them you have to understand them first. Use the Avengers as a buffer of sorts, because they are similar when it comes to their abilities," Lauren advised.

"How many of them are there?" he asked.

Lauren shrugged. 'Hundreds, that I know of, and I am sure that more are born every day."

"But how?"

"How? They're the next step in the evolutionary process. They are the new us, Sir. They are incredible, and unstoppable. They are bonded with one another in ways you or I couldn't possible begin to understand. They are kind and forgiving and loving, but if it comes down to it, they look out for their own. If they feel threatened, many of them will bite. Not all, but many, and that is something you do not want. Countless of them could level cities if they put their minds to it. You do not want to piss them off," she told him sternly.

"If it's so dangerous to contact them, then why tell me about them at all?" Fury asked. "And exactly how do you know they exist?"

"I told you so that you could do something about the threats to this world. They would be a wonderful asset, you just have to be careful with them. Very careful. As for how I know about them..." She took a deep breath. "I used to work both alongside and against them."

"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

Lauren pulled out an old Primatech business card back from her time working there and put it on the desk in front of her. "There is a company that deals with people with abilities. They use the cover 'Primatech Paper', and they have been active for over 50 years now."

"50 years? And no one has suspected a thing?" he asked incredulously.

"Anyone that asks questions is mysteriously killed soon thereafter," Lauren replied simply.

"And you...are you one of them?" he asked.

"No, I am not. Primatech was where I worked for a very long time. It was a...strange experience. I enjoyed the field aspect of it, but in some ways, well, a lot of ways, it was cruel and inhumane. Their sole purpose was to 'bag and tag' Specials. We would break into their homes, drug them and take them back to the nearest facility, where we would wait until they woke up. After they did, we would give them three choices. Work for us, remain in captivity forever or die. Most chose the first, but there were some that were too dangerous to give any options to. These were kept in a security facility in Texas known as Level Five. I worked in the office containing Level Five. I was partly an office worker, but more than anything I was a field agent. Company policy was to have 'One of Us and one of Them', which means one human and one Special worked as partners with one another to go out and get other Specials. It was cold, efficient and deadly, and we were not allowed to tell anyone we loved about it. It's why I never married," she explained, and Fury was silent for moment.

"So is Primatech still functioning?" he asked obviously.

Lauren nodded. "Yes Sir, but it is different now. The funding is similar, but the people are different. It is headed by a board of people, all of whom I have met personally. If you were to seek an alliance with these people, this board is who you would need to speak with. They make all major decisions concerning Primatech, and have turned it into a much more humane environment. There is no 'bagging and tagging', and Specials who wish to lead ordinary lives are given this option. However, they still monitor hundreds of people's activity to make sure they are using their abilities responsibly and in a way that doesn't harm anyone. They are good people, but very protective of their lot."

"Who is on this board? What are they like? If I am going to consider this, I need to know the people," he told her, and she smiled.

"Of course. Well, first of all there is Peter Petrelli. His mother is a huge contributor money wise to the project, and she is also on the board. Her name is Angela Petrelli. I believe you may have previously met Peter's brother, Nathan Petrelli," she said, and Fury's eyes widened.

"You mean to tell me that the former President of the United States was an evolved human?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. He had the ability of flight, but he rarely used it. He was more interested in politics than anything else, and all he wanted was to keep the Specials as quiet as possible."

"So, am I correct in assuming that he did not die in a car accident?" Fury asked, and Lauren nodded.

"He was killed for his ability. It was devastating to Peter and Angela, and his daughter Claire."

"Nathan Petrelli didn't have a daughter," Fury corrected, but Lauren shook her head.

"Yes he did. He just never told anyone about her because she was illegitimate. Her name is Claire, and she is immortal. She heals from anything. She's a real sweetheart. I've met her myself. She's actually my boyfriend's adopted daughter," she informed him.

"So, the Petrellis. The remaining ones, I mean. What are they like?"

"Well, if you want to make this work, treat Angela with respect, but ignore every word that comes out of her mouth and make your own decisions. She's a manipulative bitch that has dreams of the future, so chances are she knows we are having this conversation right now and will try to stop this, but the others don't really listen to her much. Peter is the jewel of the family. Well, he and Claire. Honest, loyal, trusting...he is basically a dark haired Captain America. Him, you can trust. He will always choose what is best for Specials and humans alike, and is a really stand out guy. He is an empath, or he was. Now his powers are a little out of whack, but still there. He's actually about to become a father, but that's beside the point. Anyway, there are four other board members. Next is Matt Parkman. He is a mind reader, and a damn good one at that. He can make people do things, plant thoughts in their heads...it's never ending. He is a lot like Peter, only with much more of a temper. He has a good heart, a human wife and two children, and if he feels that you are threatening his family and friends in any way, he will kick your ass. Next is Tracy Strauss. Tracy is the resident air conditioner. She can freeze and melt things in moments and can manipulate water to her will. She can also turn her entire body to water, which is really frightening. She has a good heart, but has been known for a vengeful and distrustful attitude. When the government last came after Specials, they held her in a cell and basically used and tortured her. She was set free, and afterwards personally killed every single member of that organization."

"Okay, so let's recap. Angela's a bitch, so be nice but don't listen. Peter's a nice guy, so trust him. Parkman is nice, but touchy, so don't threaten his loved ones. And Tracy..."

"Do not piss her off, and I mean it. She will kill you Sir, and I am not joking. She is a motherly person that loves and cares for all the Specials, especially the children, and if she feels like you aren't 100% with their cause, she will send you running for the hills or kill you," Lauren warned, deadly serious.

"Duly noted. Okay, so there are two more members of this board," he prompted, and Lauren continued.

"Yes. Hiro Nakamura and Claude Raines. Hiro is an easy going and really sweet guy. He's Japanese, and a really sweet person. He has the ability to teleport. Claude...Claude is, well, to sum him up simply, he's like an older, unsuccessful Tony Stark," she said. "He's British and grumpy, but loves a good laugh at the same time."

Fury nodded. "How do you think we should approach this matter, Lauren?"

"I believe it would be best to use the Avengers as a buffer of sorts. Then again, it might be the worst idea I've ever had. Honestly, Sir, there is no way to go about this that does not have a potentially disastrous ending, but I believe that if we get Peter, Hiro and Matt on board, the others will follow. They will have to! This may cause a few arguments, but in the end, the desire to be of assistance and potentially stop the end of the world in the future would prove too important for them to ignore. I don't see them turning their back on this, but I can see them taking matters into their own hands. We must present a united and welcoming front for them, and become as close to them as possible. We must trust them, and thye must trust us. This will work, Sir, I really believe so, but only after much work."

"Well, everything worth doing is going to take a little hard work. Do you think you could get those three men here? Peter and the other two?" he asked, and Lauren nodded.

"I think so. My boyfriend would be able to help. I am not in direct contact with them any more, but Noah can get a message to them through Claire, I am sure," Lauren replied confidently.

"Thank you, Miss Gilmore. You have given me much to think about. I will think more about this and make no decisions until after meeting with Peter Petrelli and the other men, but thank you for telling me of this," he said sincerely, and Lauren smiled. "You are free to go." Lauren stood to leave, but he said one more thing. "Miss Gilmore, I hope you realize that the decision you just made might just save the world."

Lauren nodded. "Actually, I hope the world won't really need much more saving."

"You and me both," Fury replied with a sigh. "Oh, and Miss Gilmore? Am I correct in assuming that you are well acquainted with some of the assistants in this office?"

"Yes," she replied, not sure what his point was.

"Good. Then I put you in charge of finding me a new secretary," he told her, and her eyes widened.

"Sir?"

He looked up at her. "After you have done this, you will be in charge of relations between Primatech and S.H.I.E.L.D. Unless you have a problem with that?"

"No sir, not at all," Lauren replied, a smile taking over her face. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now get me that meeting as soon as possible please," he ordered.

"Yes sir."

* * *

That evening, Lauren sat in her apartment, waiting for Noah to return. He had been out for a while, but she wasn't worried. He was a big boy, after all, and he could take care of himself. Her relationship with him was a strange one, as they had been together for many years. Three, to be exact. She wasn't sure she was in love with Noah, but she did know that she would never be able to live without him. He was a constant comfort and help to her, and she would do anything for him.

She was interrupted from her thoughts as there was a knock on the door, so she got up from the couch to see who it was. She opened the door, and couldn't believe her luck when she saw who it was.

"Hey Lauren," Claire greeted, and Lauren grinned at her.

"Claire! It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed, giving Claire a tight hug. Claire chuckled, a little surprised at Lauren's enthusiasm, but she said nothing about it.

"Is my father here?" Claire asked Lauren once they separated.

"Oh, not at the moment, but he will be in a bit. Come on in and wait for him," she said, stepping aside to let Claire through.

They sat in the lounge together, and there was an awkward silence.

"So, was there something wrong?" Lauren asked. "You don't usually come to these parts unless it's a planned visit."

"I was actually in the neighbourhood checking up on a Special for a few days, and I wanted to drop by and see you both," she explained. "I know things haven't been great between Dad and I over the last few years, well, ever since Nathan's death really, but I feel like it's getting better."

"Claire, he really does love you. I know he has done things in the past that have hurt you greatly, but at the end of the day, his only thought as he did those horrible things was that he needed to protect you. This doesn't justify it, I know, but you should know that he never stopped loving you for a second, and he never will," Lauren told her honestly.

Claire nodded. "I think I am now starting to realize that more and more. Ever since I got back together with West I have been thinking more and more about Dad, and how I really want him to be there for my life. I mean, I love West so much, and I can honestly see us getting married sometime, and I want my father to walk me down the aisle. I might technically be an orphan, but that doesn't mean I have to act like it, right?"

"Right," Lauren confirmed. "So things are good for you?"

"Great, actually," Claire replied with a happy grin.

Lauren smirked at her. "You are so in love Claire."

She blushed deeply and looked down for moment. "I know." She took a deep breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, what about you? How have things been going at S.H.I.E.L.D?"

Lauren looked at her for a moment, realizing that now was her chance. "Actually, I had an interesting discussion with Director Fury today."

"Really? What about?" Claire asked, obviously interested.

"Well...I told him about Specials," Lauren announced, and Claire stared at her in shock for a moment.

"You...you..." she trailed off for a moment before gulping deeply. "You WHAT?"

"Claire, please calm down," Lauren begged. "He took it well. You are all safe, Claire! He just needs to meet with you."

Claire glared at her. "What gave you the right?" she demanded. "What the hell Lauren? You can't just go and out something like that to the world!"

"I thought it was necessary, Claire. You know I wouldn't have done it unless I was sure it was the right thing to do," Lauren reasoned, and Claire shook her head in disbelief.

"Are you hearing yourself right now?" she asked disbelievingly. "You have _got _to be kidding me. This is...you can't..." She made a strangled sound with her throat, thudding her fist on the chair beside her. "You do realize that you have just changed the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people."

"Yes, well I just might have saved the world in the process," Lauren justified, and Claire stared at her.

"And how, pray tell, did you do that, Lauren? You exposed us all!" Claire exclaimed.

"Look, Claire, I know how this all must sound, but you have to understand that this is the best thing to do. The Avengers have been revealed to the world as Superheroes, and the world expects them to be that. Situations will arise where the earth is put in danger, and the Avengers will be expected to fight for the survival of human kind. But what happens when the time inevitably comes when they fail? There are only a bunch of them, Claire, and everyone expects them to be able to save the day every time. But they are only people, Claire, just like you and everyone else. Primatech needs to take a stand and help protect the earth. Your people need to pitch in!" Lauren lectured, and Claire went right back to shaking her head.

"Lauren, the last time I checked, we were a little too busy saving the world from ourselves," Claire hissed.

"Well, it's done now, and it can't be undone. Something has to happen now," Lauren said, hoping to move on from this point of the conversation and begin negotiating the meeting.

Claire sighed. "You're right. I don't know how long it will take me to forgive you for this, but what is done is done. We need to decide what to do next." She stood, getting her coat from the back of the chair.

"Wait, Claire!" Lauren said, stopping her. "You just said we need to decide what our next move is."

"There is no 'we', Lauren," Claire scoffed. "You are human, not one of us. I will notify the board and see what they want to do about it. It's not my place to react to this, it's theirs. We follow them."

"But that's what I wanted to talk to you about Claire," Lauren said. "Fury wants to meet with Peter, Hiro and Matt and talk about a possible alliance. In secret. No one else can know about this, not even the other members of the board."

"Why the hell not?" Claire demanded, sitting back down again after realizing that this conversation was far from over.

"Because we need to keep this situation as calm as possible. Fury is the only one that knows about the Specials, and he and I are handling this situation ourselves. Peter, Matt and Hiro are the three less flammable members of the board, and so it will be a better atmosphere. They and Fury can discuss an alliance, and, if they can't agree, they will part ways. Primatech will stay away from S.H.I.E.L.D and Fury will keep the secret."

"And if they can agree?"

"Then I assume there will be a combined meeting with the board, Director Fury, the Avengers and myself. I suppose you will probably be present also seeing as you are now in on this," Lauren explained.

"Why did you tell me?" Claire asked. "Why not just go to someone else? I mean, I am sure you still have some other ties in Primatech."

"Yes, but I wanted to come to you about this. You might have reacted badly initially, but I honestly don't blame you. I understand that this is hard for you, especially after the government came after all of your people last time, but this will be different. We have the power to make this better. We could save the world with this alliance, Claire," Lauren said.

Claire sighed. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to get Peter, Matt and Hiro in on this, and preferably on our side," Lauren told her, and she nodded.

"No problem. They'll listen to me. But I want to be there at the meeting. It might help to have a Special sort of by your side," Claire said, and Lauren smiled at her.

"Claire, are you saying that you agree with me?" Lauren asked suspiciously.

"I am saying that I may understand your reasoning and am willing to consider some...possibilities," Claire replied mysteriously. "Okay, well, I'll go and organize letting those three know. By the way, good call not bringing in Angela or Tracy. They would blow up about this. They will blow up about this."

"Yes, and I'm sure Claude wouldn't help either," Lauren replied with a smirk, and Claire laughed.

"No, he wouldn't," she confirmed. "So, I'll get going."

"Yep. Thanks for helping me with this," Lauren said, and Claire frowned, so she corrected herself. "I mean understanding and considering."

Claire smiled and nodded. "Better. Now, I should get going before my Dad gets back."

"I thought you wanted to talk to him?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I'm really in the mood for it tonight. Sorry, I just feel kind of out of sorts about this whole thing, and while I am ready to think about it and all that, I feel kinda weird. I just need some space to breathe, and I don't think that talking to my father is the best thing at the moment. I might just drop by quickly before I leave or something. If I end up leaving at all," Claire commented. She stood and grabbed her jacket from the couch once more and slid her arms into it. "Bye Lauren."

"Bye Claire."

* * *

**And so it begins... :)**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Baby Steps

**Here's the next chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know what you thought!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs. Enjoy! **

* * *

"She WHAT?" Peter exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"I know how it sounds, Peter," Claire told him reassuringly. "I was furious when she told me, but it makes sense."

"How does it make sense Claire?" Matt demanded, and Claire found herself looking to Hiro for help. When she had called the three of them to meet at her house, she had been expecting a much calmer response. However, it was a big announcement, and it did change things quite a bit.

"Just...before you go off at Lauren for what she did, think about her reasoning. We have saved the world several times, as have the Avengers, but that was pure luck! Sure, we might have skills, and they might have skills, and that may have contributed to the end result, but who knows if we would be able to win next time a Samuel Sullivan or Sylar pops up? And what about the Avengers? There are only a few of them, but hundreds of us. We could get together and fight for the world we share!" Claire lectured, and the fire in her eyes made Matt and Peter stop for a moment.

"I agree with Claire," Hiro said quietly, and Claire gave the time traveller a grateful smile. "The earth is in danger all the time, and we need to all work together."

Matt shook his head. "I understand what you are saying Claire, but do you understand what this means? This changes EVERYTHING."

"He's right," Peter agreed. "We would be exposing ourselves to yet another government agency, and it didn't end well last time. We were hunted, Claire."

Claire scoffed. "Do you see them hunting the Avengers? NO! They are treated with respect! We would have the chance to have be the same. We don't necessarily need to expose ourselves to the public, but we can at least help behind the scenes a bit. We could save even more lives, Peter," Claire said, knowing that her final statement would seal the deal with her uncle. All Peter ever wanted was to save as many lives as possible, and this would mean his agreement in this matter.

Peter sighed, his shoulders sagging as he leaned back on the sofa. "I know what you're saying, Claire. I just...this is a big decision, and I'm pissed that Lauren didn't come to us first."

"I agree with Peter," Matt said loyally. "She should have come to us first."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Tracy would have snapped her neck on the spot. That's why we can't tell them until we are sure about our stance on this. You three are the more...understanding of the people on the board, and so Nick Fury has decided to start discussing this with you guys first before he goes up against the big guns...Tracy and Angela."

"What about Claude?" Hiro asked, bothered that they were partly forgetting his friend.

Claire smiled. "He won't care, just as long as all the Specials and his alcohol stash are safe. Tracy and Angela will be harder to convince. We need to stick together with this."

Peter sighed, sipping at his beer. "We just really need to be careful with this, Claire. You do realize this could end really badly?"

Claire nodded. "I know, Pete. I am trying my best to stop that from happening, but I need you guys to support me."

Hiro nodded at her with a smile. "You will always have my support, Claire," he assured her.

"Thank you Hiro," Claire said, giving her old friend's hand a squeeze. "I knew I could count on you." She then turned to look at her uncle and Matt.

Matt nodded. "I'm in, I guess. Well, no guarantees, but I'll meet with this guy and see what happens. I need to know that we can trust him."

"I totally agree," Claire assured him. "I feel the same. I will fight this with everything I have if I feel like it will end badly, but I can't help but wonder how beneficial this alliance could be to both sides."

Peter gave a big sigh. "Well then, I guess I'm in too. God knows you're gonna do whatever you want anyway Claire, and I might as well come along to watch your back."

Claire gave her uncle a winning smile. "You're good at that," she praised him before turning back to all of them. "Thank you all so much for this, by the way. Your support means more than you will ever know."

"So do you know when this meeting will be, Claire?" Hiro asked the obvious question.

"I am not sure. I will talk to Lauren and then let you all know," Claire promised, and they all nodded.

"Well," Peter began, raising a glass. "Here's to hopefully saving the world."

"Here, here," Matt agreed wholeheartedly, clinking glasses with Peter and then Hiro and Claire."

* * *

Claire arrived at West's apartment, which she had recently moved into, and found it empty. West was probably still at the office helping out Micah, so she didn't worry. He was a big boy, and was more than able to take care of himself.

She set her bag and coat down on the back of a chair in the kitchen, and kicked her shoes off upon entering the lounge. She pulled her cell out of her phone and jumped onto the couch, cushions flying everywhere as she landed. She lay on her stomach, waving her feet in the air as she dialled Lauren's number, getting ready to give her the good news.

"Hello?" Lauren answered, her voice sounding clipped and short.

"Hey, it's Claire. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Lauren sighed. "I'm just annoyed at my computer. I am trying to write up some reports about Primatech for Fury, but it keeps freezing and deleting my work!"

"Well if it's really a problem you can video chat Micah on the computer and he can use the link to find the problem and fix it in five seconds flat," Claire told her, smiling with pride. "He's quite the genius."

Lauren laughed. "I think it's just time for me to get a new computer. I've had this dinosaur for years. Anyway, was there something you needed to tell me? Weren't you meeting with Matt, Peter and Hiro today?"

"Yes, I did see them and talk to them about it, and they have agreed to meet with Fury!" Claire announced, a smile on her face.

"Yes!" Lauren exclaimed, fighting the urge to pump her fist in the air. "That's great! Good job Claire," she praised.

"Thanks," Claire said, blushing a little. "It wasn't too hard though. They are good people. They were a little pissed at first, so I wouldn't expect them to be overjoyed to see you, but they will tolerate what is going on in the hope that it will do some good in the future. This is a very delicate situation though."

"I understand," Lauren said. "Well, I'd better let you get back to whatever it is you're doing, but I will try to set up a meeting with Fury tomorrow when I see him, and then I'll let you know what we decide."

"Okay, thank you. I hope this works out," Claire said honestly.

"Me too. Bye," Lauren farewelled.

"Bye," Claire replied before hanging up. Just in time too, as she heard the front door open.

"Claire!" West's unmistakeable voice came. "You here?"

"In here!" Claire replied, and she heard footsteps going through the house until he walked into the room, smiling as he saw her rather juvenile position.

"You're adorable," he sighed with a smirk.

Claire rolled her eyes and sat up, patting the chair beside her. "Come sit." He sat by her, kissing her forehead gently.

"How was your day?" he asked, and Claire smiled up at him.

"It was good. Yours?" she replied, deciding to not tell him about the S.H.I.E.L.D issues.

"It was interesting, but not perfect," he told her truthfully, and she frowned. "Because you weren't there," he told her, and she laughed.

"You always were good at the romantic crap," Claire chuckled, shaking her head.

He chuckled, going in for a kiss. He kissed her for a moment, before pulling back and pressing his forehead to hers. "Tell me something."

"What?" Claire asked breathlessly.

"How long has it been since I last told you just how much I loved you?"

"I don't know...this morning?" Claire replied impatiently, going in for another kiss.

He humoured her for a moment before breaking it off, returning to the previous position of joined foreheads. "I love you more than anything in my whole entire life. I love you truly, deeply, wholly and completely."

Claire smiled at him, her cheeks growing even redder. "There you go again with the romantic crap...you know Mr Rosen, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just saying all this to get me into bed."

He smiled charmingly, kissing her again. "Is it working?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

Claire sighed, moving closer to him. "I'll tell you later," she said, kissing him hard and pushing him back on the couch, rolling her body on top of him.

"I will eagerly await your answer," he replied, his voice muffled by her hair and mouth.

* * *

"Hey T!" Alex called as Tracy pulled into the driveway of the apartment he was sharing with his girlfriend Abigail.

Tracy rolled her eyes and rolled her window down. "Just get your girl and get in," she told him shortly, though she was secretly quite amused by the young man. His love for life and his girlfriend was admirable, and, despite his relaxed and laid back attitude, he was a very committed and considerate person.

Abigail came out of the house, her blonde curls pulled up into a bun and a handbag hanging from her shoulder. Her heels clicked on the pavement, and it was all Tracy could do to not tell her to go inside and change her shoes. She was a practical, kind girl, but her love of stilettos would ultimately be her downfall.

Alex wolf whistled at his girlfriend, and she blushed and ignored him, getting in the front seat of the car instead of sitting in the back with Alex.

"Ohh, burn!" Alex laughed, holding his heart as though she had wounded him greatly. "Must I sit here all by myself?"

Tracy raised her eyebrows as she backed out of the driveway. "Do you see anyone sitting with you?" she asked him.

"No," he replied lamely.

"Then yes, you must sit all by yourself," Tracy told him with a snort.

Abigail sighed as Alex began to sniff loudly, undoubtedly just to annoy Tracy. "So, how are you?" she asked the older woman.

"I am...exhausted, but good," Tracy replied truthfully. "The board meetings are getting less frequent, which is helpful. I miss being out on the field more. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love being able to have a voice in the company, but..."

"Sometimes you just want to shoot a bastard in the kneecaps, just for the heck of it," Alex finished for her.

"That's not quite what I was going to say," Tracy said with a chuckle. "But yeah. I miss being able to help people one on one, and catch the bad guys. Speaking of which, how are you guys going with your field work?"

"It's alright," Abigail replied. "There are the good days and the bad days, but over all, I enjoy the danger. Alex doesn't though."

"Excuse me?' Alex said, sounding offended, but they knew he was joking. "I don't mind the danger. I just don't like it when Abbie's in danger."

Tracy smiled at him. "Well, that I can understand. You want to look after her because you love her."

Abigail blushed and looked down, but Alex didn't miss a beat. "Yep. Speaking of love, anyone special in your life Trace? I mean, I would have to meet the guy and make sure he was perfect, and then he'd have to meet Peter, Matt, Claude, West, Micah-"

"Micah?" Tracy asked with a laugh.

"He is your nephew, and he adores you. He would want to make sure you were with someone that deserved you," Abigail explained, understanding her boyfriend's thinking.

Tracy nodded. "Well then, I suppose I will never fall in love. I don't think anyone could meet the standards of all you guys," Tracy told them with a huff.

"Damn right," Alex said, nodding.

Abigail rolled her eyes at him for the millionth time that day. "Tracy, you will fall in love when you fall in love, and knowing you, all those guys will be way too scared to challenge him since you'll kick their asses if they so much as look at him wrong."

Tracy grinned. "Now that's damn right," she said, quoting Alex. "Kicking asses is what I do."

"And you are way too proud of it," Alex told her, rolling his eyes.

Tracy snorted. "Like you're one to be talking to me about pride."

Abigail chuckled. "She's right Al."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "I am sensing betrayal," he said, and Tracy laughed.

"She's being honest, Al," Tracy told him. "I am always right."

"Whatever, we're here," Alex said flippantly as they pulled into the driveway of the mansion where displaced Specials lived. There were over 160 people living, eating and sleeping there, and it was all funded by The Company. There were four other houses like this in America, two in Australia and one in England, and they were in the process of trying to find a way to make more in other countries, but it wasn't necessary at the moment. Hiro's teleporting ability was helpful in getting people from one place to another, and so each of the safe houses were filled with people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures that chose to come together and live and work as one. Many of them also worked for Primatech, but not all. There were also many orphans living in the safe houses that were cared for by the many Specials who volunteered there.

Tracy often picked up Alex and Abigail on Friday afternoons and took them to this safe house, which everyone called 'Bennet House', as it was run and supervised by Sandra Bennet, and her children Claire and Lyle. Sandra and Lyle lived there full time, but Claire chose to stay in an apartment in town with West, and they often flew there if they were needed. Tracy also lived there full time, but she slept in the living room as she felt the need to be readily available for any and all nightmares the children had, which was a nightly occurrence. They all knew that all they had to do was walk downstairs to the living room and Tracy would be there to make them hot cocoa and check their closets for monsters.

Tracy drove the car around to the back and parked it in her usual spot by the back paddock. The second the car stopped, Alex jumped out and ran up to where all the children were playing on the playground that had been built especially for them. Sparrow sat on one of a few lawn chairs, overlooking the entire scene and making sure the kids played well with one another.

"Hey there Birdie!" Alex greeted Sparrow, who rolled her eyes at the use of her old nickname. She stood and walked to meet him.

"Hey Alex," she replied, giving him a big hug and a quick peck on the cheek. "It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too," Abigail replied for her boyfriend before flinging her arms around her best friend's neck. They saw one another every weekend and talked on the phone almost every night, but that still wasn't enough. They were as close as sisters and truly hated ever being apart.

"Well, I'll just head inside and make my rounds," Tracy told them as she locked her car.

"Oh come on Tracy!" Sparrow exclaimed. "You work all the time! I assure you that everyone is fine. Come and sit with us!" She motioned to the law chairs that were empty.

Tracy shook her head. "As tempting as it is, I am going to have to say no for now. I have a job to do. I'll just make my rounds and then catch up with you guys later, okay?"

"Alright," Sparrow sighed. "I'll see you at dinner. But we are gonna get you drunk later."

"Sure you will. Bye!" Tracy said, waving at them as she walked off. She chuckled as she heard the children excitedly squealing as they spotted Alex and Abigail, who weren't around all the time and were therefore treasured and adored.

She walked up the stair and onto the large, back porch. She kicked off her shoes and opened the door, walking right in as she searched for the familiar faces that were sure to be there.

"Tracy, you're here!" a familiar voice called, and Tracy turned to see Sandra walking toward her, a baby in her arms as usual.

"Yes I'm back," Tracy replied, pecking the older woman's cheek and smiling at baby Maurice. "Hey there little one!" The baby smiled at her, recognizing her voice instantly.

"Are the two rascals here?" Sandra asked, referring to Alex and Abigail.

"Yeah, they're out back watching the kids with Sparrow," Tracy told her.

"Well, Maurice is just about ready for bed," Sandra told her. "Would you mind taking him? I can't have Alex and Abigail slacking off out there. Sparrow is more than capable of watching those children on her own, and the kitchen staff needs all the help they can get!"

"Sure," Tracy said, taking the six month old in her arms. "I'll put him down in the nursery. I'm just heading up there to check on the kids anyway."

"You making your usual rounds?" Sandra asked her, and Tracy nodded. "Bless your heart. Now, I'd better go scold those two slackers!"

Tracy laughed. "Feel free to let it loose on 'em Sandy!"

"Oh I will!" Sandra replied before walking out.

Tracy chuckled and turned to Maurice. "Well now little Mo, we'd best get you off to bed. You look exhausted baby!" She cradled him to her chest and walked upstairs and into the section of the house where the infants (or those under two) were housed. The little man was so tired he was asleep before she even put him down, and she smiled down at him, placing a feather soft kiss on his forehead before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

She then walked downstairs into the very large basement, where Micah was sitting at a desk, surrounded by monitors. Tracy could see almost everything that was going on in the house, including in the kitchen, outdoors on all angles and most of the main hallways. There were no cameras in the rooms, but everywhere else was checked a lot.

"Hey there Mikey!" Tracy greeted, walking over to her nephew and kissing the top of his head.

"Hey Trace," he replied, and she was still shocked at how deep the teenager's voice was getting. It was downright frightening at times!

"I'm just doing my rounds and checking on everybody. How are we looking?" she asked, motioning to all the screens.

"Pretty good. No attempted break ins for three months now," he said, and Tracy laughed.

"Those hooligans learnt their lesson, didn't they?" she asked, referring to a few months previously when a bunch of guys from the local town thought they could break in and take valuables from their house. Boy did they have another thing coming...

"Anyway, all the other safe houses are doing good. I just talked to all their leaders, and everything is fine there. Some food shortages in Australia, but no big deal," he told her.

"Okay, well I'll see you later on when you're relieved of duty, okay? I have to go check on everybody else and make sure everything is running smoothly," she told him, squeezing his shoulder before leaving.

* * *

**There's the next chapter! I am sorry it was so short, I am trying to give some background to all the characters that will be in the story so that all you readers can understand where these people are at this point in time. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!**


	3. Many Meetings

**Here's the third chapter! Please let me know what you think in the form of a lovely review! I appreciate the support shown so far very much! Sorry for any mistakes, I didn't have much time to go through this as I am working really hard on my other story The Little Things as well! **

**Much thanks to ****nezumi 248**** and ****JajaDemon666 ****for reviewing! Also a shout out to ****Alsc****Petrelli****, ****thelastsamoan****, ****JajaDemon666**** and ****nezumi 248**** for alerting!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs. Enjoy!**

* * *

"They should be here any minute Sir," Lauren told Fury, referring to the coming Primatech board members. Claire was also coming along to smooth things over and keep tempers at bay, as she was very good at this.

"Thank you Lauren," Fury acknowledged, checking his tie with his hands for the tenth time to make sure it was straight. Everything had to be perfect for this meeting, and the tension in the air was almost tangible.

They had chosen to meet after hours at the office headquarters, where nothing important was kept and so the security was minimal. This seemed right, as they felt it was important to have as few people as possible know about this meeting.

A knock was heard at the door, and Lauren opened it to reveal Claire.

"Hey Claire!" she greeted with a smile, and Fury stood from his chair at the head of the table.

"Hey Lauren," Claire replied, hugging her father's girlfriend briefly. "They should be here soon. The traffic in the city isn't great, so it might take a while longer than usual I suppose."

"Okay," Lauren said before ushering Claire in and shutting the door behind her. "Claire, this is Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Claire smiled, sticking her hand out. "Nice to meet you sir. Claire Bennet," she introduced herself.

Fury nodded politely. "Miss Bennet," he confirmed. "Come and have a seat. You too, Lauren." They sat themselves at the table, and Fury once more turned to his guest. "So, I understand that you are...partnering with Lauren in this business meeting?" he asked, trying to get a clear understanding of Claire's position.

Claire bit her lip. "Honestly, Director, I'm just here to make sure no one dies as a result of this meeting," she told him frankly. "If this partnership works, great, welcome to the family, but if not, there could be problems. There just might be a war between the government and my people, and I call them my people for a reason. No offence, but I will never choose a bunch of suit wearing monkeys over my own."

Fury nodded. "I see Lauren was not exaggerating when she told me of your people's bond with one another."

"We have been hunted by the government, Director. Many of my people were drugged and taken away from their homes and families all because the government was worried about them having more power than they did," Claire told him. "I want this to work, but I can't promise it will. I am only being honest with you."

"And I appreciate that Miss Bennet. I will do everything in my power to make this work and avoid the worst case scenario you speak of," he promised.

"I know you will," Claire replied, and Fury was a little shocked to see such confidence from someone so young.

"So," he began. "While we wait for the others, tell me about yourself."

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Okay...well, I was raised in Odessa Texas by a wonderful adopted family. My parents divorced when I was 17, and my father is now in a relationship with Lauren over here. I am currently deeply in love with my boyfriend West, whom I have been with for years now. He was a high school sweetheart of mine that I then reconnected with in adulthood."

"And does he have an ability?"

"Yes, he does," Claire replied, feeling a little suspicious and uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. "He can fly."

Fury's eyes widened. "Really? And what is this like? Is it unpredictable, or-"

"It was at first, I think, but he is in full control of it now. He can fly with people too," she told him.

"Really? So, if he was touching you he could make you fly too?" Fury asked, trying to understand, and Claire shook her head.

"No, but he can carry me," she told him with a smile. "He likes to do it to freak me out a lot. Just because I can heal from anything doesn't mean I love being miles off the ground."

"I can imagine," Fury said, but there was a knock on the door and a security officer entered.

"Your other guests have arrived, Sir," he announced.

"Well, send them in!" Fury told him impatiently as he rose from the chair.

Peter soon entered, followed by Hiro and Matt. They all smiled in Claire's direction before turning to Fury.

"Director Fury, I assume?" Matt said, stepping forward and shaking the directors hand. "Matt Parkman."

"Nice to meet you," Fury told him, instantly trying to guard his thoughts. Matt gave him an amused smirk before standing back to let his friends greet the man.

"Hello, Mr Fury," Hiro greeted, bowing respectfully, and Fury returned the gesture. "I am Hiro Nakamura. It is an honor to meet you sir."

Fury nodded. "Likewise, Mr Nakamura."

"Oh, call me Hiro. Mr Nakamura was my father," Hiro told him, and he nodded in confirmation.

Peter locked eyes with the man, and looked him over for a moment before shaking his hand. "Peter Petrelli."

"Director Fury," he introduced, though they were both already familiar with one another's names.

"Lauren, it is wonderful to meet you again!" Hiro said, being his ever friendly self. Lauren laughed and stood, bowing to him respectfully before giving him a quick hug.

"Lauren," Matt said, acknowledging her presence, but the frosty undertone in his voice was not missed by any in the room.

"Matt, it is nice to see you once more," she greeted. "You too, Peter." Peter simply nodded in reply.

"Well, let's all take a seat and get started, shall we?" Fury said, shutting the door and taking a seat at the head of the table. Lauren and Claire resumed their former seats, sitting across from one another at the end of the table near Fury. Once everyone was settled, Fury began the meeting. "Now, it is no secret as to why we are here," he began. "The possibility of an alliance between the members of Primatech and those in S.H.I.E.L.D is a controversial matter, one that must be discussed and considered carefully by both parties. It would be foolish to pretend that this was not a...delicate meeting, and a very important one all the same. So, I believe it would be wise to begin this by us all expressing our opinions on the matter, so we are all aware of where one another stands. Also, I believe it would do well to get to know one another, so that, should we be working closely together in the future, we can be comfortable with one another. Who would like to start?"

After an awkward pause, Hiro spoke up. "I will!" he announced, and Claire had to hide a smile. It was nice that he could be still so cheerful, no matter how tense the situation was. "My name is Hiro Nakamura, and I have the gift of teleportation. I can teleport to any where at any time, but I like to not go back in time too much because it changes things and that is not good for anyone. My mother also had an ability. She was able to heal anything with a kiss, but she died when I was young. I have a sister, Kimiko, but she doesn't have an ability either. My friend Ando also works for Primatech, and he can make red lightning come from his hands. Also, if he zaps someone with an ability with his lightning, he can boost their power greatly.

"My position on this alliance is that it could be a good thing. I am sorry Miss Lauren, but I was very upset that you told Mr Fury without asking us first, but I understand why you did it. Thank you for trying to look out for everyone. You are a good woman," he finished, and Lauren smiled.

"I am sorry for not coming to you all first," Lauren apologized in reply to Hiro's honesty. "From now on, I will be completely honest with everyone sitting at this table. Now, who wants to go next?"

Claire smiled. "I will, I guess. Hi, my name is Claire Anne Bennet, but technically it's Claire Anne Bennet Petrelli Gordon, as my adopted family was named Bennet, my father's surname was Petrelli and my mother's was Gordon. My father was Nathan Petrelli, the lawyer, politician, Congressman and eventually President. My mother was Meredith Gordon, who died the year before my father did in a fire she accidentally started herself. I have a younger adopted brother named Lyle, and two half brothers, Monty and Simon Petrelli. I also have an uncle, Peter," she nodded in his direction, "and a grandmother, Angela, who is also on the board. My cells regenerate rapidly, and so I can heal from anything. Right now, I've died 12 times total, but come back every time, obviously. My ability manifested when I was 16. Last of all, my position on this...agreement, is that we need to make sure everyone is comfortable with one another as much as possible, and have everything out on the table from day one. If we don't, then the secrets each side keeps from one another will be the ultimate undoing of us all, and we just might end up enemies one day, which I think we can all agree we don't want to happen." There were nods of agreement all around the table.

Matt spoke up. "My name is Matt Parkman, and I have the ability of telepathy. I can read minds and plant thoughts into people's heads. I am happily married to my beautiful wife Janice, and we have a five year old son Matty and a two year old daughter Anne, named after Claire here." Claire smiled and looked down, a blush coloring her cheeks. "My mother Lillian died when I was young, and my father was killed a few years ago. He had the same ability as me, and didn't use it wisely. A few years ago I was looking after a young orphan named Molly Walker, but she is now in the care of her other caregiver Mohinder Suresh, who is the geneticist and head of research at the Primatech lab in Philedelphia. I agree with Claire when it comes to this agreement," he finished quickly, and Fury found himself developing a lot of respect for this man who was blunt, honest and to the point.

"Well, my name is Lauren Gilmore," Lauren began, hoping to prevent awkward pauses. "I am kind of the middle man in all of this I suppose. I have no ability to speak of, unless you count catching popcorn in my mouth when someone throws it from the other side of the room." A few awkward chuckles were heard from around the room. "I used to work for Primatech, but by the time it was reformed I had already received the job offer to come and work for S.H.I.E.L.D, and I didn't feel I could turn this down. I am dating Claire's adopted father, Noah Bennet, and have been for many years. As most of you could have guessed, I am a big advocate for this union, and I believe it could help a lot of people."

Fury nodded, taking over as only he and Peter were left, and the empath was being very silent and observing the Director very carefully. "Obviously I am...a fan, of this alliance. I think it will benefit all parties greatly, yet must be handled carefully. I have a great amount of respect for all of you, as you all have stepped forward and expressed the desire for change, and a change for the better," he finished. His speech was quick, clear and concise, and earned him a lot of respect from the others around the table. This was not a man to mince words.

Claire looked at Peter. "Pete, are you going to talk or do I have to for you?" she quipped with a smirk, and Peter grinned at her.

"Shush, you," he told her with a roll of his eyes. "I'm Peter Petrelli, but you knew that. I am Claire's uncle and Nathan Petrelli's brother, but you knew that too." He took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say. "I think everyone here actually agrees when it comes to this alliance. It needs to be treated carefully, but it could be a good thing. Could be. I say go for it. We're all acting like this could explode in our faces any moment, but seriously? We're all adults. We can do this."

"Of course we can," Claire said. "I think that basically seals it. I mean, if we don't try this, everyone at this table will always wonder what could've been. We will regret this forever if we don't. Sure, there's a chance we might regret it if we do, but hey, if you regret nothing you haven't lived."

Hiro nodded. "Claire is right," he agreed. "She is wise for one so young."

Claire smiled. "Well, I learned from the best," she replied.

"So, what should our next course of action be?" Fury asked. He couldn't help the excitement that gleamed in his good eye as he realized just what was happening in that moment.

"Introductions need to be made," Peter announced. "We need to understand one another."

"Agreed," Fury replied. "Maybe it would be best for us to hold another meeting with those at this table and a few...extras."

"Extras?" Matt asked.

"The Avengers," Lauren elaborated. "You will need to meet them."

Hiro beamed with joy. "It will be an honor to meet those super-heroes," he told them, and Claire chuckled.

"Well Hiro, you know what we say..." she trailed off, looking to Matt.

Matt smirked. "If you want to meet a hero, Hiro..."

"...just look in the mirror and you'll see two," Peter finished with a laugh. "A hero and a Hiro."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Hiro said sarcastically before turning back to Fury. "When will we get to meet them?"

"Well, it will take some time to get them all here, and I am not sure if summoning Thor will be possible, but I should say sometime during the next few weeks. I will put Agent Hill in charge of it in the morning, and see how that goes," he explained. "Chances are Stark is somewhere making trouble, Barton and Romanoff are fighting crime together somewhere foreign, Rogers is doing the same but on his own and Banners is somewhere working quietly where there isn't anything to make him angry."

"You mean you don't keep track of them normally?" Matt asked, and Fury nodded.

"I don't think it is necessary. They generally do clean up after themselves, and we know they will come to help should we need it. I figured they deserved a leave of absence until they were absolutely needed again," Fury told them.

"That's good of you," Claire praised with a smile. "Now, is there anything you want to know about our operations?"

"How many of you are there?" he began. "I mean, you don't have to tell me, I understand, but I do want to get a bit of an idea of just what we are joining."

"We really can't answer that," Peter said. "There are a lot under our surveillance, and probably more that are not. We try to find as many as possible and help them, but it doesn't always work out. We have safe houses where Specials who are displaced, homeless or in need of companionship stay, and they are all protected well. Claire's adopted mother, Sandra, runs one of them."

"And a damn good job she does too," Matt commented.

Claire smiled. "That's my Mom. Anyway, there are a lot. More than we will ever know probably."

"Well, I am sure it will be a pleasure working with you all," Fury said. "I have a feeling this is the beginning of a very...special union."

"Agreed," Hiro said with a smile.

"Now all we have to do is get everyone else on the same sides as us," Matt said.

"I don't think the Avengers will be much of a problem," Fury told them. "If anything, they will be glad to meet you all and share the responsibility of the earth's protection."

"Claude and Angela won't be too hard to convince too. Besides, chances are Angela already knows we're having this conversation," Claire chuckled. "If she wanted to stop us she would have."

"True," Peter said. "Either that or she is finding some kind of purpose in all of this."

"Angela sees an opportunity in everything," Matt scoffed, and Fury raised an eyebrow. "She probably agrees with us in this anyway, but she'll give us an earful when we tell her we didn't involve her right away."

"Yeah. Shotgun not telling Angela!" Claire exclaimed with a smirk, and Matt looked at Hiro.

"Not it!" they both yelled at the same time.

Peter groaned. "Why me?" he asked, sounding terrified, and Claire laughed.

"She's your Mother, Peter," Claire reasoned.

He sighed, giving a shrug. "At least I don't have to tell Tracy," he said, and Claire's eyes widened.

"NOT IT!" Matt and Hiro yelled once more, and Claire groaned.

"She's your best friend, Claire," Peter mocked, and she glared at him. Tracy might have been her closest friend, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared to death of the woman.

She was not looking forward to this.

* * *

The next day, Peter met with his mother for lunch.

"So, Peter," Angela began, smiling at her son over the table. "What is it you've been dying to tell me dear?"

Peter set down his cutlery and braced himself for the worst. "Well, Ma, I have decided to inform you, as a fellow member of the board, that I and some...colleagues...have been considering forming an alliance with SHIELD."

Angela was silent for a moment before smiling softly, and Peter almost got chills. "I suppose it was inevitable that SHIELD would become a part of our operations," she said reasonably, and Peter did little to hide his shock. "Oh, shut your mouth boy, before you catch flies in it. I may be strong-willed, but I am not unreasonable by any means."

Peter frowned. "Have you been having any dreams about this?"

Angela shook her head. "No. My dreams have been fairly infrequent of late," she told her son. "I am afraid that for all our power we remain unable to predict the outcome of this particular situation. We may just have to trust SHIELD."

Peter's jaw tightened visibly. "So are you willing to support the pursuit of an alliance with SHIELD or not?" he asked impatiently, not wishing to engage in a battle of wits and words with his mother.

"Perhaps," she replied cryptically, and Peter gave an exasperated sigh. "Peter, I will need to meet this people first and then decide whether or not they are what is best for this company."

"But you'll come and meet them? Fury and the Avengers?" he asked, seeking clarification.

"Of course," Angela replied coolly. "Now, have you and those 'colleagues', who I am guessing to be Matt, Hiro and Claude, met with Fury yet?"

Peter nodded. "Yes we have. Oh, and Claude doesn't know. We figured our first meeting with Fury would be better if Claude wasn't there pissing people off."

"Smart move," Angela praised. "And I am sure the same went for myself?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Well..." Peter stuttered, and Angela chuckled.

"Peter, it is alright," she assured him, placing a hand over his. "I understand that I can be a difficult person to get along with at times. However, I swear to be on my best behavior for this particular business venture."

Peter nodded. "Thanks. Anyway, Fury seemed to be a decent guy. Doesn't mince words, gets straight to the point and doesn't play games. I may not trust him yet, but I'm getting there."

"Good. Trust will be important if this is going to work. Now, there is something that we need to discuss. It is a rather delicate matter, but an important one," she said carefully, and Peter's eyes narrowed.

"What is it?"

"Sylar," she replied.

Peter glared at her. "Gabriel," he corrected.

Angela snorted. "Whatever it is you are calling him these days, I don't care. He may have turned over a new leaf in your books, but he is still the man that murdered my son and attacked my granddaughter. I don't want him involved in this."

"Ma, we can't just cut him out. We've tried to keep him working for Primatech but away from other people, for obvious reasons, but we can't just pretend he doesn't exist," Peter groaned.

"Oh yes we can, and we will," Angela told him, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Exactly how do you think SHIELD will react when we tell them that one of us is a serial killed who was in the FBI's most wanted list for years, and possibly still is? He is a murderer, and if Fury finds out about him he will sever all ties with us and the alliance will fail."

Peter sighed. "Look, I understand what you're saying, but it's a hard thing to do. I have been trying to rehabilitate him as much as possible, and he is doing well. He hasn't killed since the night at the carnival, and he is trying his best to behave. Ignoring him with this just might send him right back to what he was."

"Peter, as far as I and many others are concerned, that man is still Sylar, the murderer of so many of our loved ones. You, Claire and Emma may have real forgiving natures, but the rest of us don't. If you won't take charge in this matter, I will speak with others and see to it that Sylar is kept out of this alliance and this Company. Should he resort to killing once more, we will find a way to take him down, with or without you."

"And who do you think will follow you in this?" Peter asked. "All we want is peace, Ma. It's all we need."

"Tracy will most certainly take charge, and so many will follow her. She has the ability to lead, and should I bring this to her attention, I am sure she would do something about it," Angela said.

"Are you threatening me?" Peter asked indignantly.

"No, I am warning you," Angela told him. "Keep Sylar out of this."

"Fine," Peter spat. "I will not tell him, but if he finds out and reacts badly, the blood of any and all he kills will be on your hands, not mine."

"So be it," Angela replied, looking him in the eye. "Now, how is that wife of yours?" she asked, changing the subject completely.

"Emma is well," Peter replied, not willing to give him mother more to go on. His wife was everything to him, and his mother had never approved of Emma. "She's not pregnant yet, if that's what you're asking."

"You can't blame an old woman for wanting more grandchildren?" she chuckled. "Besides, you hardly discourage me Peter. The word 'yet' is not exactly telling me to give up."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Ma, it's between Emma and I. We want to be sure when we start trying."

"When," Angela repeated with a smirk.

"If," Peter corrected both himself and his mother. His phone suddenly went off, and he pulled it out of his pocket, looking at the text he had received.

_Hey love. When will you be home? I need to talk to you._

_-Em _

He smiled and replied.

_Give me 20 minutes E. Is everything alright?_

_-Peter _

"Peter!" Angela scolded. "It is rude to text at the table."

"It's Emma, she needs to talk to me. Sorry, I've got to go," he said, kissing his mother's cheek before walking out, ignoring her protests.

* * *

"Hey Claire!" Tracy greeted as she walked into the coffee house and saw her friend sitting there.

"Hey Trace!" Claire replied with a smile, getting up to hug her tightly. "Thank you so much for meeting me here."

"No problem, I'm on my lunch break at the office," Tracy assured her. "Is there anything wrong?"

Claire shook her head. "No," she replied hesitantly. "Just some stuff I wanted to talk over with you. Fist, do you want to order?"

Tracy shook her head. "Sorry, I don't think I really have the stomach to drink coffee at the moment. I've picked up a bug from the office. It's going around, and I'm just hoping I don't give it to any of the kids. Well, any that don't have it already. It's a bit of a crisis situation over there as far as bathrooms go. I never would have thought that thirteen toilet bowls wouldn't be enough!"

Claire laughed, sipping her coffee. "Yeah, my Mom mentioned that over the phone. I'm sorry to hear it. Anyway, how are you? Other than the stomach thing, of course."

"Well, other than that, I'm good," Tracy replied. "I just keep on living life and all of that until another issue comes up, then I'll deal with it and go back to this I suppose. Same old, same old."

Claire nodded. "I know what you mean!"

Tracy chuckled. "Hey, you've got an exciting relationship on the side. So...how is Mr Rosen?" Tracy asked, deliberately using the nickname for West she knew he hated.

Claire smiled. "He's really good. At everything."

Tracy raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I need to think about the implications behind that statement!"

"That's not what a meant," Claire said, hitting her friends arm. "No, he's just...he cooks, he cleans up after himself, he washes the clothes...damn it, he even puts the toilet seat down after he pees."

Tracy smirked. "So he's either done something really, really bad, or he really loves you," she told her, and Claire laughed.

"Yeah, well, I think it's the second one," she replied. "And I really do love him too. He means everything to me."

Tracy held in a girly squeal. "Aww, you're in love," she said. "It's adorable!"

Claire blushed. "Anyway," she said, changing the subject. "There was something I needed to talk to you about..."

"Are you pregnant?" Tracy asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"What? No!" Claire replied, a little too quickly, and Tracy smirked. "Okay, so I may or may not have had a pregnancy scare last week, but it's all good now."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Claire confirmed. "I took a test."

Tracy looked shocked. "And you didn't call me to come and sit nervously beside you as you waited for the results?" she asked, feigning horror.

"Sorry," Claire apologized. "I just...I wanted to do it alone. I mean, if there was someone I had to call, it would probably be you."

"Probably?"

"Definitely," Claire replied. "Anyway, about what I really asked you here for."

"I'm listening," Tracy said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands.

"You have to promise not to flip out. We are in a public place after all," Claire said, trying to lay the foundation for what she was about to say.

The older woman frowned. "Claire, are you sure you're not pregnant?"

Claire laughed. "YES! And no, I'm not engaged either. Yet," she added, and Tracy grinned. "ANYWAY, I need to tell you something you might not really believe at first."

Tracy nodded and looked at her seriously. "Is West pregnant?"

Claire stared at her. "Yes. He's due in July," she told her sarcastically.

"Congratulations!" Tracy said, laughing, and Claire rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, Tracy, this is important," she said, and Tracy nodded, focusing on the conversation now. "So, Matt, Hiro, Peter and I went for an important meeting the other week-"

"There better be a damn good reason why only half of the board went and the other half had no idea about it," Tracy almost growled, trying to control herself. All traces of the previous humor was gone, replaced by what was widely know as her 'business face'. It was stern and commanding, and not exactly a calming look.

"There is, I promise. It was...look, you're not going to like this, but...it was a really delicate situation, and we needed to handle it carefully, so we just took along the more..welcoming people, I suppose," Claire said, wincing as the words left her mouth.

"I am sorry, I don't quite understand," Tracy replied, frowning dangerously and leaning forward.

"Well...we went to meet Nick Fury," Claire spat out, subconsciously backing her chair away from the table a little.

Tracy bit her lip, taking a deep breath. "Nick Fury? As in the director of SHIELD?" she asked.

"Well...yes," came the lame reply.

"Do elaborate," Tracy said, giving her a chilling smile, and Claire suppressed a shudder.

"Well, Lauren Gilmore, who has been working as his secretary for some time, told him about us all, and he was interesting in forming an alliance. She spoke with me and I spoke with Peter, Matt and Hiro, and so there was a casual meeting to see if everyone was on the same page," she explained.

"And why wasn't I informed about this?" Tracy asked coolly.

"Well...look, Tracy, you are my best friend, and you know I would never do a thing to hurt you. It's just that...you can be a little full on sometimes, and we didn't know what Fury was like, and we didn't really want to initiate a war or anything, so we didn't bring along you, Angela and Claude," she told her.

Tracy took a deep breath and rubbed her temples, fighting the coming headache. "So, Nick Fury is now aware of Specials?"

"Yes," Claire replied.

Tracy closed her eyes. "You do know how idiotically stupid this is Claire?" she asked, keeping her fury in check.

"Well, we thought-"

"No, Claire, that's the problem! You didn't _think_! None of you did!" Tracy yelled, and Claire gripped the sides of her chair tightly.

"Tracy, just think about it, please," she begged. "This could be great! We could save the world together!"

"We could burn it to the ground Claire," Tracy shot back. "I can't believe Lauren would do this!"

"She had her reasons, Tracy, reasons that I understand! And you will too, I promise. You just need to think about it for a little while," she tried to convince her, but Tracy was having none of it.

"Look, Claire, I can't understand what you were thinking. I know you are under the impression that this is a good idea, but I'm sorry, I can't agree with you and the others," she told her friend. "Sorry, but...I need to go and get some space to think this through. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Claire said, watching as her friend picked up her bag and walked out.

* * *

**So, a slightly longer chapter for y'all! I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know in a review!**


	4. Many Meetings II

**Much thanks to everyone who has subscribed, favorited and/or alerted! It means a lot to little ol' me! :) **

**Also, just to clarify, this story is taking place on the premise that Claire didn't actually jump from the stand and reveal the Specials to the world at the end of Season Four of Heroes. Also, the world is aware of the Avengers due to events in the end of that movie. **

**And here's part two! Enjoy a chapter filled with Claude's stupidity and Tracy's arrogance. :) **

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs. **

* * *

Fury looked around the room at the Avengers.

"What's up Doc?" Tony asked with a smirk, and Fury glared at him.

"It's Director," he corrected.

"Fine," Tony sighed. "What's up Dir?"

"Shut up Tony," Natasha told him, turning back to Fury. "What seems to be the problem, Sir?"

"There is no problem currently," he replied. "However, a matter has arisen that I believe you may take some interest in, and I feel it would be wise to inform you of this as a group."

"But Thor isn't here," Steve said.

"I am aware," Fury told him. "But I am afraid we have no current methods of communicating with him, and so we shall be without him until he decides to show himself once more. Now, down to business. Most of you have previously met my secretary, Miss Lauren Gilmore," he said, motioning to the blonde that sat to his right at the large oak table. Nods were seen all around. "She is no longer my secretary, but is now in charge of relations between Primatech and SHIELD."

"Primatech?" Barton asked. "Like that paper company?"

"Well, sort of," Fury replied, turning Lauren. "I believe you have prepared a presentation for the group?"

"Yes sir," Lauren replied, standing and picking up a remote from the centre of the table. "If you would all kindly direct your attention to the board," she began, looking at the screen that had been set up against a wall. She pressed a button, beginning the slideshow she had prepared. On the first slide was the Primatech logo. "This is the logo for Primatech Paper, a company that supplies paper to many different locations all over the world. Or at least that is their cleverly devised cover."

"Cover?" Natasha asked.

"Yes, cover," Lauren confirmed. "They are not a paper company, I assure you. The furthest thing from it, actually." She clicked the 'next' button on the remote, revealing the next slide which showed a picture taken of Angela, Peter, Nathan and Claire all together long ago. They were all smiling, but most of them were faking it. "The man on the left in this picture is, as you all know, Nathan Petrelli, former president of the United States. He stands here with his brother, Peter, and his mother, Angela Petrelli. This picture was taken in June of 2007, three months after Arthur Petrelli, Nathan's father, was killed by the notorious serial killer Sylar."

"Who's the blonde?" Bruce asked. He had been silent for some time, being his usual self and quietly observing while letting the others speak.

"That's Claire. Now Claire...Claire is an interesting person. The Petrelli's have their own messed up families and history of despicable deeds they went to great lengths to hide from the press, but Claire...Claire was above all that. She still is."

"Wait, she's a Petrelli? She was never in the newspapers or anything," Natasha commented.

"That's because she's one of the despicable deeds," Lauren replied. "She was probably 17 or 18 when this picture was taken. She is Nathan Petrelli's illegitimate daughter."

"Daughter?" Clint exclaimed, surprised.

"Where'd they keep her for his campaign, the basement?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"No, she was adopted as a baby," Lauren replied. She clicked for the next slide, showing Claire, Sandra, Noah and Lyle's family photo. "This is the Bennet family. Noah and Sandra Bennet adopted Claire when she was a baby, and Lyle was born soon after that. She only found out she was adopted at fifteen, and a year later, she discovered something else about herself that was...interesting."

Lauren clicked to the next slide, which was a video. She played it.

_"My name is Claire Bennet, and this is attempt number one."_

_"My name is Claire Bennet, and this is attempt number two."_

_"My name is Claire Bennet..."_

_"...attempt number seven..."_

_"...Claire Bennet..."_

_"...attempt number fourteen..."  
_

_"...twenty..."_

_"My name is Claire Bennet, and this is attempt number...I've lost count."_

Lauren stopped the video as it ended, half an hour later. There was silence in the room.

"So...one day she just wakes up and all of a sudden she's indestructible?" Clint asked, trying to understand what they had just seen.

"Well, sort of. She always had the potential to gain this ability, it was kind of ingrained in her DNA, but it manifested when she was sixteen," Lauren replied. "And has brought nothing but hell into her life since, but she is the strongest person I know."

"You know her?" Natasha asked.

"How do you know the freak?" Tony asked, and Lauren couldn't help but glare at him.

"A chunk of metal is keeping you alive. Don't call her a freak," she said, and Tony raised an eyebrow.

"I am guessing you must be pretty close to this girl to be so protective of her," he commented.

Fury spoke up for Lauren. "Miss Gilmore's boyfriend is the man who adopted Claire," he explained. "I have met Claire also, and she is a very well rounded individual, and a very capable fighter by the look of her. She may seem small, but don't insult her. She can defend herself."

"Wait," Bruce began. "You said her ability was ingrained in her DNA. How does that work?"

Lauren nodded at him. "I am glad you asked that question, Dr. Banner. Claire is one of hundreds, if not thousands of people all over the globe that have manifested these extraordinary, superhuman powers. It is usually genetic, but not always. Claire's was, though."

"Nathan Petrelli had an ability?" Natasha asked the obvious question, and Lauren nodded.

"Both he and Claire's mother did, but that was not why the two of them originally connected. She possessed the gift of pyrokinesis," Lauren informed them.

"A human fireball? Sweet," Tony said with a smirk.

"I wouldn't say that to Claire. Her mother is dead, and has been for a few years."

"What, her actual mother or her adopted mother?"

"Biological. Her adopted mother, Sandra, is still very much alive and busy," Lauren replied. "Anyway, as I said, Claire is one of many with abilities." Next slide. "This is Hiro Nakamura, a Japanese office worker and the son of a wealthy Japanese businessman. He can teleport through time and space." Next slide. "Claude Raines, an Englishman that can make himself and anyone he touches invisible." Next slide. "Angela Petrelli, mother of Peter and Nathan. Her dreams come true." Next slide. "Isaac Mendez, deceased. His paintings came true." Next slide. "Niki Sanders, her husband D.L. and her son Micah. Niki and D.L. are both deceased. Niki had super strength, D.L. walked through walls and Micah can control technology." Next slide. "Tracy Strauss, one of three triplets, Niki Sanders being another. She can freeze things, manipulate water to her will and turn her entire body into water." Next slide. "Peter Petrelli. He picks up abilities from those around him. Well, he did. He now can only maintain one ability at a time." Next slide. "Samuel Sullivan. He has the ability of terrakinesis. I would tell you more, but these are just a few of the main ones."

"What does all this have to do with Primatech Paper?" Steve asked.

"Good question. Primatech Paper was created by a group of men and women with abilities many years ago. It's purpose was to keep all people with special abilities in line, but eventually this company went off the rails a little. It was immoral and cruel. They would take people they deemed 'dangerous' and just lock them up or kill them. If you refused to join them, they would lock you up or kill you. There was no way to get away from them, and it was a terrible place to be." She looked around the room. "I know this because I used to work with them."

"You worked with these people?" Clint asked disbelievingly, and Lauren nodded sadly.

"Yes, I did. I didn't realize at the time that the people that I was pointing a gun at on a daily basis were actually still human. They still have emotions, and that was something I chose to ignore for many years, and I now deeply regret this fact, as does my boyfriend. He used to be a colleague of mine, but we both retired from that lifestyle."

"Is the company still running?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, it is," Lauren replied.

"Then I say we shut the bastards down," Tony said simply, but both Lauren and Fury shook their heads at him.

"No," Lauren said. "They are different now. Much more humane. It is now made up mostly of people that suffered negatively from the company in the past, and have now taken over and are making it a better place. It was a good original concept, but the way it ended up was terrible. Now, there is a board in charge of it. No one dies deliberately. All deaths are in self-defence, and this is insured by all of it's members. There are humans and 'Specials' working side by side to make it a humane environment, and they are globally active. The board is made up of Angela and Peter Petrelli, Matt Parkman, Hiro Nakamura, Claude Raines and Tracy Strauss. They are good people, I assure you. I know them all personally."

"Thank you Lauren," Fury said sincerely, standing up from his seat. "I will take over from here."

"Thank you Sir,' Lauren replied, switching off the screen and sitting in her seat.

"Now, I understand that the implications of what we have just revealed to you are great, and you will all take some time to adjust. However, it only seems fair to inform you that Miss Gilmore and I are both attempting to organize an alliance between SHIELD and Primatech, so that we may work together to keep the world we share safe and well. I have met with half of the board, and Claire Bennet, and they are all agreeable people that I believe we will come to trust."

"Mind you, Claire and I deliberately only invited the half of the board that wouldn't piss of everyone within a mile radius," Lauren said with a chuckle, and Fury smirked.

"True. But I am sure the other three will not be so bad. I am trying to organize a meeting between all of us here and all of their board, plus Claire. I believe it would be mutually beneficial and we could discuss options. Would you all be willing to make attempts at this?" he asked, looking around the table.

"Yes Sir," the Captain replied.

"I agree with Steve," Tony announced. "For once."

"I look forward to meeting with them," Bruce said in his usual, mild-mannered way.

"So do I," Natasha added, and Clint remained silent but nodded with what everyone else said.

* * *

It was time.

The day had finally arrived when the Avengers were finally all to meet the board of Primatech. Fury, Lauren and Claire had all worked unbelievably hard to make it all a possibility, and now all three of them were incredibly nervous about how it was all going to go.

The Avengers all gathered in the room first, waiting for the board to arrive. None of them were really sure as to how that day was going to go, and all present were nervous. But they had different ways of showing it.

Fury was his usual stern self, frowning at Tony's insensitive remarks and snide comments and speaking with Steve and Clint about many different matters. Lauren was going over all the different dynamics in her head several times, reminding herself to keep Tony and Claude separate at all times, and the same went for Natasha and Tracy. These pairs were either going to be fast friends or mortal enemies with the amount of things they had in common. Clint was remaining silent, except for the occasional word to Natasha or Fury. The Captain was expressing his opinions in his usual, humble way, trying to tactfully remind Tony that they did not want to start a war with Primatech. Tony was being himself, no matter how hard the others in the room tried to put a leash on him. Bruce was fidgeting and tapping his fingers against the table trying to hum quietly to himself and remain calm. Nerves were not exactly good for his 'condition'.

It had been about 20 minutes before Lauren's phone went off, and she picked it up as the room went silent. Not that there was much talking in the first place.

"Hello? Oh, hi Claire. Okay, I'll let them all know. See you in a bit!" Lauren turned to the rest of them after tucking her phone back into her inner jacket pocket. "That was Claire, she said they will be here soon."

Fury nodded in acknowledgement. "Alright, this means we have to get out game faces on. Romanoff, keep it tactful. Clint, you're fine. Bruce, don't get mad. Steve, don't be disapproving. And Tony..."

"Don't be myself?" he guessed, and Fury nodded. "Sure thing Dir."

Bruce snorted at Tony's use of Fury's new nickname, but Fury, Natasha, Lauren and Clint all glared at Tony.

Lauren sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

As they got out of the car and headed up to the building, Claire looked around at her fellow board members. They had all shown up except for Claude and Tracy, who were coming a little later after an emergency in Texas where one of the Level Five occupants had come close to escaping. Well, that was what they had said on the phone.

"Okay, just remember, be polite and respectful at all times and don't pick any fights," Claire said, and Peter smirked.

"Claire, I don't think we are the ones you need to be telling that to. Claude and Tracy are the ones that needed to be prepared for this, not us," Peter reasoned, and Claire looked pointedly at Angela. "Point taken."

"I would be offended by that, but I already knew you were going to do it," Angela told them as she took the lead and led them into the building and up to the front desk.

There wasn't much decoration in the place, and the walls were painted a simple cream, with the occasional painting here and there to make the place a little more colorful.

The woman at the desk looked up immediately and smiled at them, knowing that they were important guests. "I will show you to the meeting room," she told them shortly, standing and walking ahead of them. They followed her into the lift, where she took them to the top floor. The moment the lift doors opened, they all stepped out and looked around the place. This area was much brighter, and Claire guessed that this was probably deliberate. Not many people were taken up to this floor, but those who did were supposed to be treated well and with respect.

"I will just announce your arrival," the woman told them as she opened a door and walked in. They heard her muffled voice. "The board of Primatech are here," she announced.

"Send them in," Fury replied, and the woman walked back out of the room and waved them all in.

Claire took a deep breath as she entered the room, looking around to see the faces she had never seen outside of a TV screen before. They were celebrities, and for good reason. They had saved the world, and so the world loved them for it, but somehow Claire couldn't help but feel that they wouldn't be all the media claimed them to be.

Fury stood, as did Lauren. "Please, take a seat," he directed, waving them toward the spare seats, and the board (minus Tracy and Claude) seated themselves. Fury cleared his throat with a frown. "I apologize if this is forward, but I was under the impression that there was to be seven of you coming today, not five."

"Yes," Lauren agreed. "Where are Tracy and Claude?"

Peter sighed. "There was an emergency in Texas, but they should be here soon. They are just flying over now."

"What happened?" Tony asked.

"There was...an incident with one of the prisoners. One of our Level Five occupants decided to attempt an escape and severely injured two guards in the process, but Tracy and Claude took him down and he is currently heavily sedated, and will remain that way until and and all escape possibilities that he used or considered are fixed," Claire replied coolly. "We are dealing with it, I assure you, but Tracy and Claude had to be late as a result. They send their sincerest apologies."

Lauren couldn't help but smirk, as she knew that Tracy and Claude wouldn't bother with something like that.

"Well, I suppose we should begin with introductions," Fury said. "I am Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD. This is Lauren, my former secretary. She is now in charge of relations between SHIELD and Primatech. This is Tony Stark, head of Stark industries. He is also known as Iron Man. To his left is Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America. Then we have Agent Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow. Then Clint Barton, also called Hawkeye, and last of all Dr Bruce Banner."

Bruce smiled at them. "They call me the Hulk, but not to my face," he informed them, earning a few chuckles around the room.

Peter cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "I am Peter Petrelli. You may have seen my brother, Nathan, when he was president. This here is my mother, Angela, and to her right is Claire, my niece. Then we have Matt Parkman and Hiro Nakamura. Tracy Strauss and Claude Raines will be along shortly, unless they decide to terrorize someone at the airport." Claire and Matt covered their mouths with their hands to try and not laugh.

* * *

"We should probably get a move on," Tracy told Claude as they stood at the vending machine. The very annoyed Englishman kicked the machine several time.

"No! I want my crisps," he said angrily, and Tracy laughed.

"God, Claude, you're such a child sometimes," she told him before stepping up to the vending machine and shoving her hand into the slot where the packet had gotten stuck. She managed to grasp it with his fingers and tug it out, and she threw it at the man who grinned at her with glee. "You're welcome."

"Oh Tracy, ruler of my heart and centre of my universe, I thank thee greatly for thy generosity and grace-"

"Shut the hell up and get your bags. I'll call a cab," she said, walking up to the road where several cabs were lying around, waiting to take the passengers that were queuing up. She managed to get one of them and she hopped in, holding the door open for Claude who ran up to the car and all but leapt inside. Tracy rolled her eyes and told the driver where they needed to go.

It took about 20 minutes for them to arrive at the building, and Tracy paid the driver before getting out, along with Claude. They walked up to the building, and were shown to the room by the woman at the front desk, just as their friends had been not half an hour before.

The room was silent when they entered as everyone stared at them. It made sense, seeing as Claude had a huge hand print on his face and a black eye, and Tracy was slightly limping. The...issue hadn't been as easy to solve as they had made others to believe, and now had to answer for it.

"What the hell happened?" Angela demanded.

Claude smiled at her infuriatingly. "Angela! A pleasure, as usual," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and Tracy elbowed him in the ribs sharply.

"Be nice," she hissed under her breath before smiling at the others in the room. "I apologize for any inconvenience created by our tardiness. I assure you we did our best to arrive on time."

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," Matt told them, and Tracy chuckled lowly.

"Matt, I may not approve of all of this, but when this all goes to hell and crashes down around your ears, somebody's gonna have to be there to pick up the pieces," she replied sharply before walking over to her seat at the table.

Claude sauntered over to the table and seated himself next to Tracy. "I'm just here to say 'I told you so'," he clarified before leaning back and putting his feet on the table.

Tracy turned around and glared at him. "Feet. Now."

"Yes _Mum_," he sighed, putting his feet down. "Anyway, I'm Claude," he introduced himself, waving half-heartedly. "If at any point in this meeting I am being spoken to and I suddenly take my phone out, don't be offended. It's nothing personal, I just got the Angry Birds Space app last week."

"Oh God," Tracy groaned, hitting her head with her palm. "If you take that phone out, so help me God I will throw it out the window!"

"I'll just send Claire Bear to fetch it for me," he replied, giving his favorite Bennet a charming grin. "She loves that kind of thing."

Claire snorted. "Yes Claude, I love diving out of windows. It's my favorite pastime."

"See?" he said to Tracy, gesturing dramatically at Claire. "She'll do anything for me."

Tracy rolled her eyes. "The sad thing is she probably would do it too."

Claude had a sudden realization as his eyes lit up and he looked at Claire in amazement. "We should paint you red and throw you at some pigs!"

Claire, Tracy, Peter and Angela all shot Claude looks, but Matt and Hiro giggled quietly. The Avengers evidently didn't know what to think.

"Claude, I refuse to become your personal Angry Bird!" she exclaimed. "Besides, we don't have any pigs."

He looked crushed before having a sudden idea. "I know! Angela, how do you feel about green face paint?"

Jaws dropped.

Smirks were hidden.

Laughs were barely contained.

And yet there was silence in the room.

"CLAUDE!" Angela yelled. "For God's sake, shut the hell up and behave yourself or so help me God I will throw YOU out that window!" Claude's jaw clamped firmly shut. "Now, kindly explain to me why you and Tracy look like you just came back from World War Three? I was told it was a minor security hiccup that would be fixed easily!"

Claude opened his mouth to reply, and Tracy hit him, hard. "Claude, just shut up. Please, for the love of God, shut up," she begged before turning back to Angela. "We were under the impression that it was a minor hiccup also, Angela, but...things didn't go according to plan. The escapee decided to be difficult, so we had to get violent. It's all good now, I promise."

"Well, let's continue with the meeting then," Peter said, turning back to the Avengers and Nick Fury. "So, this is Tracy and Claude. Tracy and Claude, do you know everyone here?"

"Bad question," Tracy hissed under her breath, knowing what was going to come next.

"Yep," Claude replied cheerfully. He nodded at Fury. "Big Daddy." Tony. "Einstein." Banner. "Doc." Barton. "Legolas." Steve. "Captain Crunch." He finally laid eyes on Romanoff, who was eyeing him dangerously. "I didn't come up with one for you," he admitted sheepishly, and Tracy snorted.

"No, you're just scared of getting your ass kicked by a girl," Tracy laughed.

"Well I am man enough to admit it. After goin' a few rounds with you in the ring I'm terrified of pissin' of the lasses," he told everyone with a laugh. "You damn well knocked me out! Twice."

Tracy smirked. "You were being a smart ass."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Big change there."

"Anyway," Angela cut in before things got dangerous. "Let's continue with the meeting. We were in the middle of discussing methods of bonding the Avengers with the Specials. A way to welcome them to the family, I suppose."

"We should just invite them to stay at Bennet House for a while and help out," Hiro suggested.

"That's a good idea," Peter agreed. "If the kids attach themselves to you guys, the adults will soon follow, and God knows there are a lot of kids at Bennet House."

Fury looked at his team. "How do you all feel about this?"

Banner cleared his throat. "I don't know if it's best for me to be around children," he said warily. He was still not in complete control of The Hulk, and he didn't need any more instances.

"You will be fine," Claire assured him. "He comes out when you're angry, right?" Banner nodded. "Then we'll just make sure you have fun."

"I can help with that," Claude said. "I am a huge fan of fun, and loosening people up is what I do."

"No day drinking," Peter said firmly. "Not while the kids are around."

Claude pouted. "You're no fun."

"Hey, I'm not the one that made that rule. Sandra did," he told Claude, who paled visibly.

"Well then, no day drinking it is," he confirmed with a nod of his head. "But soon as that sun goes down-"

"And those kids go to bed," Claire added. "I support my mother's rules. It's smart not to go against them."

Natasha smiled. "I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy staying at Bennet House. Strong women that all the men are afraid of, proper boundaries set in place..."

"You'll fit right in, I'm sure," Claire said with a smile. "When do you all want to come for a visit? We have plenty of rooms free, and you can always camp out in one of the back paddocks."

"Whenever we're all ready, I guess. It will take Tony a while to pack up his things and all of that-"

Tony interrupted Steve. "I never said I was going." His team glared at him. "What? I will come and visit and all, but I can't leave work and drop everything for this."

"Tony, in a way, this is work. It's just gonna be more fun than usual," Natasha reasoned with him. "Besides, it will do you good to leave behind your boy toys for a while and have some real quality time with people."

"It's not about that Romanoff," he scoffed. "I just don't think it's a good idea for me to leave everything behind right now. We are at a crucial point in developing some new products!"

"Miss Potts will take care of it, I am sure," Fury told him. "However, I do feel it necessary to invite you all to stay with us in Stark Tower at some point in time."

"Umm, it's my tower, Dir," Tony interrupted. "Shouldn't I be dong the inviting?"

"Tony, it's basically home for all of us," the Captain argued. "Anyway, I am sure the board is more than welcome to come and stay with us all in Stark Tower. Maybe we should spend some time in both, getting to know one another?"

"Sounds like a plan to me. Maybe you could all stop by for three weeks at Bennet House, starting next week?" Peter suggested. "Well, we'd probably have to check with Sandra."

"She'll be fine with it," Claire assured them. "She loves new people, and I'm sure she'd spoil you all rotten."

"Well that's that then. In one week, all Avengers will report to Bennet House and be assigned quarters there, where they will remain for the entirety of three weeks getting to know the Specials," Fury said decisively. "Is there anything else?" He looked around, and nothing was said. Well, Claude did open his mouth to speak, but after being elbowed in the ribs by Tracy once more he shut his trap. "Good. I believe the meeting is now adjourned."

* * *

Tracy hit the punching bag with all her might, groaning at the pain in her hands as she continued relentlessly. She hadn't bothered to put on any gloves, and pain was shooting up her arms with each hit, but in a strange way, she felt almost grateful for it. It kept her head clear and helped her think.

"Woah girl!" a familiar voice drawled. "What on earth did the poor thing do to you?"

Tracy sighed, turning around. "What do you want, Claude?"

"Just checking in on you darlin'," he replied with a smirk. "Obviously you're doing bloody fantastic."

Tracy rolled her eyes. "Obviously," she scoffed.

Claude frowned when he saw her swollen hands. "Come on, let's get some ice on those," he said. "Unless you wanna punch the brick wall a few times just to make the whole thing more dramatic."

Tracy couldn't help but chuckle as she followed Claude out of the basement/gym room and up into the kitchen area. It was 3 in the morning at Bennet House, and Tracy was unable to sleep as her mind was in overdrive going over hundreds of different scenarios to do with SHIELD and the Avengers. Claude had come to stay for a few days, and was evidently trying to look after Tracy in his own dysfunctional way.

He opened the freezer and pulled out one of the bags of ice they kept for injuries. Wrapping it in a cloth from the bench, he handed it to Tracy, who put it over her knuckles and sat herself up on the bench. Claude hopped up on one of the stools and there was silence for a moment.

"Love, for once in your life you're not sayin' anything," Claude commented with amazement. "You must be pretty pissed about this SHIELD thing."

"They told you about it then," Tracy guessed, and he nodded.

"Yep," he replied. "Hiro told me earlier. It's a lot to think about, ain't it?"

"Yeah," Tracy replied with a sigh. "I just...I can't believe they wouldn't talk to us about this first."

"Darlin', you're a bloody firecracker when you're pissed. How do you think that meeting would've gone if you tagged along?" he asked her, and she shrugged. "Trace, you'd have killed Lauren and Fury the second you stepped foot in the building!"

"Maybe," came the reply. "I still might."

Claude looked at her seriously. "At least hear then out before you tear their heads off. Let's be reasonable about this, okay?"

Tracy laughed. "Okay, I'll hear them out before killing them. I'm sure that will avoid any and all problems with SHIELD in the future."

"Yeah," Claude snorted. "'Hey, I killed your leader and his bitch, but hey, I listened to them talk first!'"

Tracy smirked. "That will go down wonderfully, I'm sure."

"Look, Trace, I know this is bloody terrible. I'm pissed, only when I'm pissed people don't die, so I guess it's better to piss me off than you," he said.

"True."

"But seriously, you can understand what they were thinking. They wanted this to work out. We have to stick together, and if that means we have to go and meet the freaks, then I say so be it," he said, and Tracy nodded.

"I know, I just...I can't believe they didn't tell me!"

"I can," Claude replied, and she glared at him. "Darlin', have you met you?"

"I'm not that bad!" Tracy protested. "Am I?"

"Love, you're great with the kids and all, but when it comes to adults...I dunno 'bout the rest of 'em, but you scare the shit out of me."

Tracy laughed. "Yeah, but that's 'cause it's fun!"

"Hey, I don't appreciate you making fun of my fear," Claude protested, and Tracy chuckled.

"Like I care," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Damn my hands hurt now."

Claude looked at her with a grin. "You know what would be great for our current situation?"

"What?"

He jumped off the stool and leapt onto the bench, standing up and reaching on top of the cupboards, pulling out a bottle and waving it around.

"Oh we are so gonna get drunk," Tracy said, chucking her ice into the sink and grabbing the bottle from Claude so he could hop down from the bench. "Let's go up onto the roof!"

"Hell yeah," Claude agreed, following her as the tiptoed through the house, trying to be quiet as they stifled childish giggles. They soon made it to the roof and sat on it. Tracy popped the bottle open and took a huge swig instantly.

"Oi, don't hog it!" Claude exclaimed, grabbing it from her and spilling it all over her lap in the process.

"Oh thanks Claude," Tracy said sarcastically as she watched her friend take another swig.

* * *

**There's the next chapter! Sorry if there are any mistakes, I haven't had much time to check over it lately as I have been doing a bit of travelling. **

**Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! :)**


	5. Claude Raines Is An Idiot

**AN: So sorry about the delay, and that it's a bit of a filler chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy a very hungover Tracy and Claude! :) **

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs. Enjoy! **

* * *

Tracy opened her eyes, blinking furiously at the bright light that invaded her sight. Groaning, she covered her eyes with her arm and tried to stand, but fell back over again. "Unhhh," she groaned, looking around herself. She was still on the roof, and she could see Claude passed out beside her. "Claude," she groaned, kicking him with her bare foot.

"Go 'way," came the grouchy reply.

"Claude," Tracy said, louder this time. She kicked him harder. "Claude!"

"Wha'?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and looking up at her.

"Get up," she ordered, slowly managing to rise onto her knees.

He groaned and sat up slowly with a great yawn. "What happened? Did I die?"

Tracy rolled her eyes. "No, you didn't die idiot!"

"Then why is the light so...bright...?" he replied quietly, moving to lie down once more.

Tracy stuck out her leg and stopped him from moving anywhere but forward. "You have a hangover genius, and so do I. If I can be on my feet then so can you. Get up!"

He mumbled something along the lines of 'icy bitch' before standing on unsteady legs. "How do we get inside?" he mumbled.

"Down the drain pipe I guess. It's how we got up here in the first place," Tracy replied as she knelt down on her knees and backed up so her legs dangled over the edge of the roof. She moved back further so her fingertips held onto the edge of the gutter and placed her feet firmly on either side of the pipe that ran vertically down the side of the four-story house. She shimmied herself down it a little before realizing that there was no way she would be able to make her way down the whole thing with the killer hangover she had. So, she reached out and knocked on the nearest window several times.

It opened, revealing a very tired looking Micah. "Tracy? Why are you dangling down the side of the house?"

"Because Claude has stupid ideas," she replied simply, and he nodded with a laugh. "Can you help me in?" she asked her nephew, and he nodded, holding a hand out and carefully helping her hop in the window.

"Where's Claude?" Micah asked, and Tracy smirked.

"Still on the roof suffering with a hangover. I should probably help him get down," she said flippantly, and he laughed.

"Maybe we should just leave him up there for a while," he suggested, and Tracy giggled.

"It's tempting, but I don't think so," she said before leaning out the window once more and looking up. "Claude!" she called before cursing herself and rubbing her temples.

He was teetering over the edge, trying to mirror Tracy's previous actions and grab onto the drainpipe, but it wasn't going well.

"Claude, you have to get a firm footing before you let go of the gutter and start moving down toward me," Tracy advised, wincing at how loud her voice was.

"Tracy, I can't get a...grip," he said, trying to slide his feet around the gutter. It was then that Tracy realized why he was having so much trouble. His stupid shoes had no grip on the bottom, and she was barefoot and therefore able to make her way down easier. But Claude just couldn't get a grip on the brick wall beside the pipe.

"Claude, kick off your shoes!" Tracy told him, and he did so, using the toe of each foot to get the shoe off.

"OW!" called a voice from below, and Tracy looked down to see Alex standing at the bottom. "Why the hell did a shoe just land on my head?"

"Sorry Al!" Tracy called, and Alex looked up to see Tracy and Micah leaning out the window and Claude dangling down the side of the house.

"Holy shit! What the hell are you doing Claude?!" he asked, obviously panicking.

"It's okay Al, he's going to be fine," Tracy called calmingly, trying to convince herself that it was true.

Claude, however, was not listening to anything. He squeezed his feet against the pipe and suddenly came up with the brilliant idea that his socks would allow him to simply slide down as though it was a fireman's pole. It should be easy, right?

Wrong.

* * *

"Are you absolutely sure it's no problem?" Matt asked Sandra as they sat in the only office in Bennet House.

"It's not a bother Matt," she assured him. "It will be nice to have some new faces around here, and I'm sure the chance to meet some real life superheroes will be great for the kids. And some of the adults," she added with a smirk. "What are they like?"

"They're...strange. But so are we I guess. They're good people, Sandra, and I have a feeling being spoilt by you will be something they'll enjoy," he said with a smile.

Sandra frowned at him. "I don't spoil, I just reward," she corrected, and he laughed.

"I know, I know." He was about to say more when they were interrupted by a high pitched scream coming from outside their window. They both jumped up with shock and ran over to the window, pulling the blinds open and lifting the window open so they could see what was going on outside.

They first looked down to see Alex standing there alone with an incredibly panicked look on his face before following his line of vision and looking up to see Claude clinging onto Tracy hand for dear life as his sock-covered feet flailed in the air and Tracy yelled at him. She was leaning out the window, trying to concentrate on holding onto his hand and not freezing it off, while Micah held onto her waist to make sure his aunt didn't go flying out the window due to the fact that Claude was rather fond of having seconds of every meal. And thirds. And fourths.

Sandra was the first to speak, her hands going to her hips on instinct. "Just hang on Claude!" she told him before hurrying away from the window and running out of the room at a surprisingly fast pace. Matt turned and ran after her, catching up just as she reached the stairs inside.

"What are you going to do?" he asked her. She obviously knew the floor plan of the place much better than him, seeing as it was her home.

"Tracy's on the fourth floor, and he's dangling just near a window on the third. If we're lucky and he hasn't fallen to his possible death yet we might be able to pull him in," she told him as the arrived at the third floor and Sandra raced through the corridors, taking a sharp right.

She opened the door to one of the empty rooms and crossed over to the window, pulling it open and leaning out. Thankfully she had been correct in her assumptions, and Claude was within reach of her arms. "Matt, come and help me get his sorry hide in here!" she commanded, and Matt ran over to the window and reached out, grabbing Claude's legs.

"Tracy!" he called. "On the count of three, you can let go!"

"Okay!" she acknowledged.

"One...two...THREE!" he called, and sure enough, Tracy let go, leaving Matt leaning precariously out the window hugging Claude's legs in an attempt to keep the older man from falling. "Claude, I'm going to lean back in and kneel down, and you should be lowered enough to be able to grab the top of the windowsill," he told Claude, who simply groaned in reply. Slowly, he took a small step back before bending slightly at the knees.

"Got the windowsill!" Claude called down to him.

"Okay, hold onto it as tight as you can," he told him before letting go of his legs and grabbing him around the waist and moving him so his feet were inside the room. "Okay, now I'm gonna need you to let go now Claude."

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry, did you just say you want me to let go? It's just I'm a bit hungover and in a lot of pain, so I might be hallucinating and I just want to make sure," he said calmly, despite the position he was in.

"Yep, I need you to let go," Matt confirmed for him.

"Fuck that!" Claude yelled in reply, clinging onto the windowsill even tighter.

"Claude, you let go of the windowsill this instant!" Tracy yelled down at him, and he shook his head furiously.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea," he replied worriedly.

"Claude, please just trust me!" Matt tried to remain calm.

Sandra, sick of standing by and watching the scene unfold, chose this moment to step in. "Claude Raines!" she began firmly. "You listen to me. You are a damned fool to get yourself into the position you're in now, and I've had enough of this! You're going to wake up everyone who's sleeping in, if you haven't already! Now you do what Matt says or so help me I will ground you for a month!"

Claude actually shook a little at her tone, despite the fact that he was a fully grown adult, but he wasn't backing down. "I can't, I'm gonna fall," he moaned.

Sandra took two steps forward and gripped onto Claude's legs with Matt, pulling hard. Claude then began to wail in a manner that was sure to create much laughter and teasing at a later date.

And alas, he finally was forced to release his iron grip and fell into the room, landing on top of Matt.

* * *

"Tony, I can't come with you, you know that!" Pepper scolded her boyfriend as she packed his things into a suitcase.

Tony rolled his eyes from where he lay on his bed. "Sure you can Pep!" he insisted. "The company will be fine for a while without you. Just come and have a little fun!"

"I don't think our ideas of fun are similar in any way, Tony," Pepper replied with a wry smile. "But if it really means a lot to you I'll check in with head office and see if they can spare me for a week or two."

Tony grinned, placing an incredibly enthusiastic kiss on Pepper's cheek. "You won't regret it," he promised her.

"I better not," she replied with a snort before walking out of the room, passing Steve who was just walked in. "Hey Steve," she greeted as she walked past, and he gave her a nod.

"Ma'am," he acknowledged respectfully before turning to Tony, who was still sprawled on his bed.

"Ma'am?" he mocked, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Ignoring the other man's comment, Steve began to speak, "I just got a call from Matt Parkman, and he says that the trip is definitely happening. Sandra Bennett is apparently thrilled to have us at Bennet House, and Fury expects us to be leaving tomorrow afternoon on your jet."

"Which one?" Tony asked with a proud grin.

"I'll leave that for you to decide," Steve replied.

"Well, was there anything else?" Tony asked, and Steve nodded slowly.

"Did I hear right or did Pepper agree to come with us?" he asked, and Tony nodded.

"That you did, Captain, that you did."

"Have you cleared that with Lauren?"

"Nope," Tony replied, popping the 'p'. "Should I have?"

"Probably, seeing as she's in charge of relations between us and them," Steve said obviously, and Tony shrugged.

"Whatever, she'll find out eventually."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? We really need to not mess this up Tony."

"We won't," Tony replied, sounding very sure of himself.

"And why not?"

"Because they're us, Steve, don't you get that? They were just born with the stuff they can do, and we..."

"We did it to ourselves," Steve finished for him. "Most of us anyway. But I guess you're right. They are just like us, just with more people and less guts."

"Less guts?" Tony asked curiously. "How do you figure that one?"

"They hide in the shadows," Steve said, his tone becoming angry. "They should be out there saving people with their powers, but they're too busy managing their own affairs and looking out for themselves."

Tony whistled. "Well," he began. "I can see you're gonna be lots of fun on this coming adventure. Does the rest of the team know you feel this way?"

"The rest of the team agree," Steve informed him hollowly.

Tony bit his lip, and for a moment, no words leapt from his mouth of their own accord, and he had to think about what to say for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Tracy and Claude sat side by side on the sofa, each nursing matching headaches and wincing at Sandra's loud lecture.

"I can't believe the two of you would be so stupid, I mean, honestly!" she exclaimed, her hands on her hips and her bright blue eyes fierce. "It's one thing to go and get drunk while there are children around, but on the roof?!"

"I was trying to cheer up Tracy," Claude defended himself, and Sandra snorted.

"I don't care," she hissed. "This is my house, and you will abide by my rules. Now, bring me all the alcohol you have left. Now!"

Claude jumped up and raced out of the room, headed for his secret stash.

Sandra sighed and sat herself beside Tracy, chuckling slightly.

"You really should enjoy that as much as you do," Tracy said with a smile, and Sandra gave her one in return.

"I know, but he is a fool sometimes. You, you're going through stuff, I understand, but Claude..." She sighed and shook her head. "I don't know what to do with him."

"He is a fully grown man," Tracy said. "You shouldn't have to 'do' anything with him." She paused, wondering whether or not to go for it. _What the hell. _"Unless it's consensual."

Sandra gave Tracy a mock glare for a moment, but made no comment as Tracy giggled into her palm, shaking her head slowly.

* * *

**There it is! I hope you enjoyed it. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought, and I am sure the next chapter will be much sooner in coming than this one. **


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